The meeting organized by the US Embassy to the Holy See with the Union of Superiors General took place in Rome on the topics of the presence of women religious on the front lines of the war zones and against human trafficking.
One of the participants in the seminar, Sister Carmen Bandeo, explains the importance of religious in the conflicts all over the world: “Personally, I think it is the women who have a key position in building peace and relationships that underline the importance of life. An example is the presence of nuns in prisons. I myself have done that kind of work and I have seen how our presence has restored dignity to the prisoners. Another example are the victims of human trafficking or the women who live in prisons or other detention centers with their children. Therefore, it is we – women – who have given them back their dignity. And at the same time we have given to prison guards and police officers the opportunity to rediscover that these people are human beings, too. Even those who live behind bars are human beings. Our work, therefore, serves to re-establish this relationship between both parties».